Egg tray for incubators



' E. O. BRANNGTON EGG TRAY FOR INcUBAToRs Filed Feb. l5, 1924 ummmmmmm Ummmmmmm o ummmmmmm o mmmmmmmm :ICICI II! [SCID :IEZIE DEJE D mmmmmmmmmmmmmcmmm nmnmnnmmm. mmmmmmmm nnmmnmmmmmmmmmnnn mmmmmmmmmmmnmmmmm mnmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmnm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm manana /mmmmmmmm- DE E525? :25:25

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Patented Feb. 16, 1926i 'UNWTED "STATES Eiowin o. fr:Enarriveren, or noenns TER, NEWvoEK, Aissenon or ONE-HALE To OSCAR A. PETERS, oERocnEsrriR, NEW YORK.

EGG TRAY Eon rn"orinarcias.`

appncauon inea February 15, 1924. semi No. 693,142.

Be it known that I, `EDWIN O. BRANING- TON, a lcitizenofthe United States, and a resident of Rochester, inthe county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Egg Tray for Incubatore, of which the following is a specification.

rthe present invention relates to incubatore and-more particularly to the egg support` ing trays,`anobject of'the'invention being to provide a tray having manually operable devices by ywhich the eggsniay, `as is necessary fora successful hatching, be lperiodically turned'over. and in 4such manner as to eft'ectian even turning ofall .the eggs andwithout jarring them or the danger of oracle ing the shells. i

Another object of the invention is to'provide a tray of rigid'yet light construction and having `a bottomthat7 while sufliciently perfoi-ated to M'permit proper ventilation .and circulation of the heatedair currents, will not sag under weight ofa vfull capacity of QQ'QS- Y .i

nd, another object 'of the invention is Atoprovide an egg tray of the characterdescribed that is readily assembled, inexpensively constructed and in which the yturning devices are so arrangedasnot to interfere Vwith its being filled to a capacity liinited only by the area within its side walls.

To these and other ends the invention consists of certain parts and coinbinationsof parts as will be fully set forth inthe following descriptionand particularly defined in the appended claims. i i 'The accompanying drawings illustrating the invention and forming A'a `part ofthe specification are follows Figures l 'and 2 are top and bottom `plan views, respectively, of the tray.

Fig. 3 is an enlargodsectional view on the liney Bw, Fig. l. i

Fig. il is 4a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 3 but drawn to a still larger scale and showing the slide as shifted to another position.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectionaldetail as on the line 5 5, 'Figi I, and showing also a tray supporting bar on the ,side wall of an incubator.

view.

And, Fig. 7 is a sectional Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary `top plan Similar reference numerals refer to similarparts throughout the several views.

In the drawings the numeral l represents a rectangular frame between opposite hsides of which extend a plurality ofipartition men'ibers which, in this instance,. are regu,- larly spaced longitudinally'extending wire rods 2 forming rows for receiving the eggs which are plaze'd end to end in such rows` .Secured to the under face of they frame l in any suitable manner, as by nails, not shown, is a bottoni of comparatively thin sieet material, and, as a reinforcementjfor this bottoni metal strips 4 are provided. These strips, two being shown in lthe drawgc, 'extend transversely of the frame l and have their ends 5 turned upwardly against the (interfaces of the lfront and rearframe pieces and secured thereto by screws (i, each strip `in turn being reinforced by being lformed for the greater part of its length into an angle bar 7, the ljuncture of the two inclined faces lying against tliebottom meniber. l -`l Slidablyfsufliported upon the perforated bottom 3 and beneath the wires 2 is a trans versely: movable egg supporting slide 8, preferably of'lilre perfo ated sheet: material as thebottom 3 but havingthe elongated 'perforations extending at right angles to those in the bottoni 3 so that for anyposition of the slide the peiLforations inthe bottom vwill not be closed and, also3 this arrange ment will permitan easier movement of 'the slide in the event of any burr being lefton either Aof the Vperforated members.

Vlhisslidefl of less width than the inner width of the frame l so as lopern'iit a forward and back movement suiiiciently,

when moved in one Ydirectionor the other,

to effect a simultaneous turning ofthe eggs a desired amount about their longitudinal axes, the eggs-,.on'niovement of the slide, being caused to rotate-due to their-contact with the partitioningwires or rods 2. The frame l is undercut along its inner bottoni edge to provide a channel 9, the side edges of the slide being guided in the channeled side frame pieces, while the front and rear edges of the slide enter the portions of the channel in the front and rear frame pieces, respectively,V as such slide is moved forward or back to turn theeggs.. f Y

Secured tothe yslide at the center of its forward edge is an operating member which, in this instance, is anupstanding finger engaging rod or bolt 10 having its inner-end riveted into a reinforcing plate 11 soldered to the slide. Then theslide is moved inwardly this rodv 10 acts asa stop by engaging one of the wires 2, and when the slide is drawn forwardthe rod or4 finger piece 10 enters a notch 12 in the front frame piece, this slot being protected around its upper edge by an escutcheon plate 13.

The wood. pieces of the frametl arel quite narrow so that, for any given outside dimensions for tliet "ay, a maximum area 'willbe provided for receiving the eggs whichare placed in all of the rows formed by the partition wires 2 and the front and rear frame pieces, the front andrear edges of' the slide 8 engaging under the eggs in the first and last rows as the slide is moved forward and back.

In .order to add finish and aflat under surface to thetray, and also an additiona support for the thin perforated bottom 3, a second frame member 14, ofk like; outer length and width as the frame 1, is secured to the under face of the frame 1 by fastening y devices as the nails 15, the frainepieces of this under part14, it will vbe noticed, being Wider. but of less depth than those of the' frame 1*, while the supporting strips avare clamped between the two frame members with the angle bar portions 7 of suoli strips lying in, the -open space of the frame 15.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an egg tray of rigid and inexpensive construction and having a'maximum capacity forgiven outside dimensions. Also, rods are provided for keeping the eggs properly spaced and' which co-operate with a manually operable egg supporting slide for effecting a simultaneous even turning of all the eggs.

In using the tray, eggs are placed vend to end in the several rows formedby the partitioning wires 2 andthe tray placed in an incubatoiya side wall of which is indicated at 16, upon supporting cleats or bars 17,

after which, for a certain number of days,

the eggs areperiodically turned over by moving the slide 8 back or forth by` engaging the operating member-10.

lli-'That I claim is:

1. In an egg tray for incubators, the combination with a rectangular frame the side pieces of which are undercut along their inner bottom edges Ato form channels, of regularly spaced longitudinally extending partition members secured to the V frame above said channels, ay perforatedy bottom on the Vframe, atransversely movable perforated slide supported onsaid-bottom and of less width than the inner width of the frame, and means for operating the slide, the side edges of the slide being guided in said channels. I v

2.' In an egg tray for incubators, the combination with a rectangular frame having an undercut channel around its inner bottom edge, of regularly spaced longitudinally extending partition members 'secured to the frame above said channel, a perforated bottom on the frame, a transversely movable frame and the inner bottom edge of the latter being undercut, a perforated bottom interposed between the two frames and forming Lthe bottom of a channel in the under face of the upper frame, a perforated eggr supporting slide transverselymovable over said bottom and being of less width than the inner width of the upper frame, such slide. being guided in opposite sides of said channel, means for operating said slide, regularly spaced longitudinally extending artition members secured to said upper rame, and supporting members fory said bottom secured to one of said frames.

A 4. In an eggV tray for incubators, the combination of two superposed rectangular .frame members of like outside dimensions, the frame pieces of the bottom member being of greaterwidth than those of the top member, the inner bottomedge of the top member being undercut, a-perforated bottom interposed between the two frames and forming the bottom of a channel in the under face of the top frame, a perforated eggsupporting slide transversely movable over said bottom and being of less width tli'an'the inner width of the top frame, such slide being guided in opposite sides of said channel, means for operating said slide,

regularly spaced longitudinally extending partition members secured to said top frame` and supporting members for said bottom secured to one of said frames.

5. In an egg tray for incubators, the combination of two .superposed rectangular frame members of like outsideV dimensions, the frame pieces of the bottom member being of greater widththan those of the top member, the inner bottom edge of the top member beingy undercut, a perforated bottom interposed between the two frames and forming the bottom of a channel in the under face of the top frame, a perforated egg supportingvslide transversely movable over said bottom and being of less width llt than the inner Width of the top frame, suoli slide being guided in opposite sides of said Channel, means for Operating said slide, regularly spaced longitudinally extending' partition members secured to said top frame, and supporting members for said bottom, such members comprising strips interposed between the two Jframes with their ends secured to opposite outer side faces of one frame and having intermediate portions 10 bent to form angle bars, substantially as set forth.

' EDWIN o. BRANINGTON. 

